Thermal barrier coating for engine combustion component

Abstract

A piston for an internal combustion engine includes a piston body having a top surface and having formed therein a combustion bowl surface, a base material of the piston body having a first thermal conductivity, a first layer of metal bonded to the top surface of the piston body, the first layer of metal having a second thermal conductivity that is lower than the first thermal conductivity, and a second layer of metal bonded to the first layer, the second layer of metal having a third thermal conductivity that is higher than the second thermal conductivity.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A piston for an internal combustion engine, comprising:
 a piston body having a top surface and having formed therein a combustion bowl surface, a base material of the piston body having a first thermal conductivity; 
 a first layer of metal bonded to at least the combustion bowl surface, the first layer of metal having a second thermal conductivity that is lower than the first thermal conductivity; and 
 a second layer of metal bonded to the first layer, the second layer of metal having a third thermal conductivity that is higher than the second thermal conductivity. 
 
     
     
       2. The piston according to  claim 1 , wherein the first layer of metal includes a first heat capacity, and the second layer of metal includes a second heat capacity that is lower than the first heat capacity. 
     
     
       3. The piston according to  claim 1 , wherein the first layer of metal includes titanium. 
     
     
       4. The piston according to  claim 3 , wherein the first layer of metal is TiAl6V4. 
     
     
       5. The piston according to  claim 1 , wherein the first layer of metal has a thickness of 10-500 microns. 
     
     
       6. The piston according to  claim 1 , wherein the second layer of metal includes nickel. 
     
     
       7. The piston according to  claim 1 , wherein the second layer of metal has a thickness of 1-200 microns. 
     
     
       8. A method of fabricating a piston for an internal combustion engine, comprising:
 forming a piston body having a top surface and having formed therein a combustion bowl surface, the piston body having a first thermal conductivity; 
 bonding a first layer of metal to the combustion bowl surface of the piston body, the first layer of metal having a second thermal conductivity that is lower than the first thermal conductivity; and 
 bonding a second layer of metal bonded to the first layer, the second layer of metal having a third thermal conductivity that is higher than the second thermal conductivity. 
 
     
     
       9. The method according to  claim 8 , wherein the first layer of metal includes a first heat capacity, and the second layer of metal includes a second heat capacity that is lower than the first heat capacity. 
     
     
       10. The method according to  claim 8 , wherein the first layer of metal includes titanium. 
     
     
       11. The method according to  claim 10 , wherein the first layer of metal is TiAl6V4. 
     
     
       12. The method according to  claim 8 , wherein the first layer of metal has a thickness of 10-500 microns. 
     
     
       13. The method according to  claim 8 , wherein the second layer of metal includes nickel. 
     
     
       14. The method according to  claim 8 , wherein the second layer of metal has a thickness of 1-200 microns. 
     
     
       15. The method according to  claim 8 , wherein the steps of bonding one of the first and second layers of metal includes one of a thermal spray process, a laser cladding process, an electroplating process, a physical vapor deposition (PVD) process, an evaporation process, a chemical vapor deposition process (CVD), a vacuum deposition process, a sputter deposition process, and a 3D printing process. 
     
     
       16. A piston for an internal combustion engine, comprising:
 a piston body; 
 a first layer of metal bonded to a combustion surface of the piston body, the first layer having a thermal conductivity that is lower than that of the piston body; and 
 a second layer of metal bonded to the first layer, the second layer of metal having a thermal conductivity that is higher than that of the first layer of metal; 
 wherein the first layer of metal includes a first heat capacity, and the second layer of metal includes a second heat capacity that is lower than the first heat capacity. 
 
     
     
       17. The piston according to  claim 16 , wherein the first layer of metal is TiAl6V4. 
     
     
       18. The piston according to  claim 16 , wherein the first layer of metal has a thickness of 10-500 microns. 
     
     
       19. The piston according to  claim 18 , wherein the second layer of metal has a thickness of 1-200 microns. 
     
     
       20. The piston according to  claim 16 , wherein the second layer of metal includes nickel.